Dave Kline joined his brother, Merritt (PD hiker) on the first PasstoPass hike in Montana. Dave shares his wonder about the scenery and the outdoors and the whole trip.
“I am sitting on the shore of Johnson Lake in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness area of west central Montana enjoying the sun warming my bones.
I am here with PasstoPass, an organization dedicated to helping those afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease get into the wilderness with the help of Support Hikers and pack Llamas.
As I rest on the edge of the water, I am surrounded by beauty I have not seen since I was a younger man hiking in the Olympics and Cascades of Washington, some 25 years ago.
The Sun shining on rocky peaks on the opposite shore of the lake.
The vivid blue of the sky.
The mirid of greens of the Alpine Fir, Spruce and Pine trees.
A very light breeze causing ripples on the water surface that move from left to right and back again.
An Osprey circling overhead searching for its dinner.
A good-sized fish has jumped about ten feet from me!
The water so clear, I watch as it cruises silently away, just to turn and swim back to where-ever it came from.
I am overwhelmed by what I see, where I am, and the people I am with.
Above all that, that there is an organization like PasstoPass that has committed itself to allowing some that could not do something like this to enjoy the experience.
Thank you for all that you have done for so many, and pray that you can continue to do the same for many more.”
Dave Kline
“Brian -thanks again for being such a great leader.
Merritt and I had a great time with you all, and connecting with my Brother back on the trail was definitely a good thing!”
We enjoy reading the unique individual experiences hikers have on a PasstoPass trip and we encourage current hikers to send us their impressions. We have a collection of stories and testimonials over the years on our web site under STORIES
All these photos from the 2026 trip were shared by Merritt or Tess. Thank you!